WASHINGTON, DC— Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement regarding the Senate’s confirmation of Janet Yellen to chair of the Federal Reserve System. Yellen currently serves as Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors, having previously served as a governor and later as head of the San Francisco Fed.
“I am very pleased that the Senate has voted to confirm someone with such experience and expertise to head the Federal Reserve. Dr. Yellen is virtually unmatched in her years working in the Federal Reserve System and has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to improving our economy and the livelihoods of the families who make it run. By all accounts, Dr. Yellen is intensely passionate about reducing the epidemic of long-term unemployment that has ravaged our middle class and held back our economic growth. I am confident that she will use the influence and resources of her new office to focus on putting Americans back to work, ensuring that America’s financial institutions are playing by the rules, and accelerating our economic recovery. The historic nature of Dr. Yellen’s appointment as the first woman to head the Federal Reserve should also not go without mention and congratulations. As a member of the Financial Services Committee, which has oversight over the Fed, I look forward to working with Dr. Yellen in the future to improve how the Fed operates for the people it serves.”